Several international students were given the chance to call home for free yesterday during Telus’ Call Home Project.
Deserving English-as-a-second language students placed 30-minute calls to their families and friends at Telus’s call centre, which Hassan Abdulrahman said meant a lot.
“I called my mom, my brother and my sisters,” said Abdulrahman, who hails from Sudan. “I’m happy.”
Fellow student Mona Koko, also from Sudan, said her friend was surprised to receive the call. “It’s good,” she said. “I’m OK, I’m happy.”
Terri Huck, program coordinator for the ESL department at Bow Valley said the program gives a worry-free call.
“The chance to have a 30-minute window to talk to somebody unconditionally, without thinking about money is just such a strong gift for them,” she said.
Chris Gerritsen of Telus echoed Huck and said while long-distance calling has become more economical, calls can add up fast.
“To make a phone call home can mean the difference between putting a couple extra items of food on the table or phoning,” he said. “We just wanted to reach out.”
